DETROIT
-- Most guys go to the NAIAS with engines in mind. I know
something about them, having worked on my own cars for years,
still I am attracted to the extraordinary, so artist/photographer
Mike Wrathell and I wandered around, I thought I would check
it out from a “chick’s perspective”. That
way, if you are male and don’t agree with my thoughts,
you can blame it on my gender. On the other hand, if you are
female, you might want to check out some of the stuff I like
while your hubby/partner beelines for the Hemis.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
We came through
the main entrance which was touting the glories of the Ford
Focus and the new Sync, a device co-designed with Microsoft.
Being the gadget freak that I am, when we went inside Cobo,
I headed straight for the Sync reps. At least I thought I
did.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
It turns out that
I had accidentally broken through a barrier, and this rather
nasty security cop treated me like I was a terrorist. The
Sync rep was nicer, but would only give me the most basic
of information. Having lost interest in it through the discourtesy
I was shown, I moved on.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
I caught a glimpse
of Mazda’s new concept car, the Ryuga, which they foresee
as coming out around 2020 and being hydrogen-fueled. Meaning
“ gracious flow” in Japanese, I only know that
we get closer to the autos that we see in Ripley sci-fi movies
every day. Mazda also featured its new Miata. There is nothing
quite as kewl as a convertible hardtop that works its magic
just by a couple of button pushes.
PHOTOS
BY SHEILA FRANKLIN / AMERICAJR.com
Reps Steven and
Chuck answered all of our zoom-zoom questions and were more
than happy to allow Mike to get in the car and play with its
retractable top.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
Land Rovers, the
Mercedes of off-roads, featured this LR2 in a shade that was
hideous under the neons of the NAIAS. This vehicle is so luxurious
that it has 10, count ‘em, 10 speakers and features
GPS navigation.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
If you are cool
enough to drive a Land Rover, you have to be cool enough to
wear its gear. You can even purchase the ultimate in accessories,
an adaptable tent, although I wouldn’t even hazard a
guess as to its price. I will opt for a Super 7 Motel with
clean sheets any day.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
The award for the
creepiest concept Car goes to the Hyundai Hellion, or what
Mike described as a “PT Cruiser on Crack.” This
prototype not only looked scary, it is displayed in a way
that makes you not want to approach it at all. Leisa tells
us that the back seat turns into a sort of backpack arrangement
with its own hydration system, thereby dispensing with cupholders.
I’m thinking that if you have something hooked up to
your mouth and your cell phone hooked up to your ear, wouldn’t
that be akin to patting your head while rubbing your stomach?
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
Only a fan of “The
Exorcist” would appreciate this Jeep Sahara. Even from
far away it looked like Linda Blair’s famous “puking
pea soup” scene.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
Dodge is obviously
appealing to the younger crowd with its new line. It featured
a baby blue Super Bee, and this Datona RT. Excuse me, but
isn’t the color purple and Hemi a contradiction of terms?
Maybe it’s a metrosexual thing.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
Mercedes really
knows how to spend the bucks to get the bucks. They put most
of their vehicles literally on ice, were giving away deserts
and drinks, and even had a sort of light show to show off
their new line.
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
This had to be
one of the most expensive automobiles we saw. At a whopping
$450,000, the SLR should not only have lift-up doors but a
hot tub and mini-bar as well. We were told that they actually
sell several of these a year.
PHOTOS
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
Before leaving
the Mercedes area, we had to catch a glimpse of this Maybach,
which was alone in a corner with no info or price, just a
rep who informed us that they were a company incorporated
into the Mercedes/Daimler line. We just liked that although
it was not a limo, it came with curtains and oozed Donald
Trump at a price of around $350,000.
PHOTO
BY SHEILA FRANKLIN / AMERICAJR.com
We finally hit
the corner with my favorites, the BMW/MINI Cooper/Porche/Volkswagens.
There were lots of very kewl cars here, and even better toys
to play with, such as the Volkswagen “Need for Speed.”
PHOTO
BY MIKE WRATHELL / AMERICAJR.com
Expect to spend
hours checking out your faves at the NAIAS and wear comfortable
shoes or catch a joyride on a “stow and go.” Not
only is the showroom huge, once COBO parking fills up, you
may have to park up to a mile away. As one of my fellow journalists
pointed out, it’s ironic that Detroit loves their cars,
but has nowhere to park them.
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